The Pact
by pieck-aboo
Summary: 104th Cadets Eren, Connie, Armin, and Jean make a pact; they each agree to tell their respective crushes how they feel. What's the worst that could happen? One-shot. EreAni, Jeankasa, Arukuri, Springles.


**A/N: WOOO! My first one-shot! I hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!**

 **Taking a break from the Modern AU genre, so here we are with the cadets causing all sorts of trouble. (Don't mind me, I'm just goofing off with this fic.)**

 **Read, review, tell me what you think! :)**

* * *

Teenage girls are notorious for engaging in mindless chatter about boys.

The boy with dreamy bright blue eyes. The boy jacked with muscles all over his entire body. The boy genius with an awkward, but irresistible laugh.

It's all harmless gossip that's just a part of the natural order of things.

Shocking as it may be, teenage boys are inherently the same way.

For the most part, they won't be squealing like newborn piglets, or fainting dramatically like they'd had an epiphany in church whenever the girl they like walks by, casually strolling along while playing with her hair. ( _For the most part_ …)

No, their pride won't let them.

In order to defend their honor, and their masculinity, they have to keep it cool and pretend like they're unfazed.

It's an unsaid rule; an accepted way of life for most young adolescent males.

At least, that's what four young adolescent males at in the 104th Cadet Corps had agreed on.

Eren Jaeger. Armin Arlert. Jean Kirstein. Connie Springer.

Soon, very soon, they would be men; if they're lucky to live that long and avoid being Titan fodder.

And if they're extremely lucky, perhaps one day, they'd each fall in love with the woman of their dreams and start their own families…

Okay, maybe _love_ is a strong word, and families, as in _having children_ , well, honestly it seemed a bit farfetched. In a dangerous world where Titans are at the top of the food chain, and humans are an endangered species, it would be rather foolish and, quite frankly, inappropriate for one to think about settling down and getting married one day.

Not with so much at risk. There's simply no need for distractions.

Even if that distraction is a raven haired beauty with incredible abs and dark, sexy eyes.

Or if she's a blonde goddess with perfection complex that nearly surpasses Mother Teresa.

Not to mention a lovely dame with reddish brown hair whose bow hunting skills would give Katniss a run for her money.

Don't forget about the blonde hottie who can practically throw a guy twice her size across a room.

Mikasa Ackerman. Krista Lenz. Sasha Braus. Annie Leonhart.

The babes of the 104th Cadet Corps. (Some of them anyway.)

Jean and Connie were completely smitten with their respective crushes.

Eren and Armin were also afflicted by the _love bug_ , but neither ever acted on their feelings; refusing to give into these _distractions._

Until one evening, Connie could no longer take it.

They were eating in the mess hall; possibly the most unconventional place for Connie to lose his shit. (But certainly not the worst.)

Sasha was sitting a few tables away, stuffing her face as usual, but he came to realize that he enjoyed watching her gorge herself with countless bread rolls and slices of meat. It was rather endearing, the way her eyes would roll to the back of her head, her boisterously loud slurps, and finally, the tiny satisfied burp after finishing one hunk of a meal. It was kind of cute.

 _She_ was cute.

"Dammit! I can't take it anymore!" Connie shouted in earnest, having lost his mind.

Jean sat directly to his left, annoyed with what he perceived as a lack of self-control. "Get it together, man! Face it. Sasha will never look at you the way she looks at potatoes."

Connie sighed, slightly heartbroken.

"That's a dick thing to say, Jean." Eren interjected. He was sitting in the table behind Jean and Connie. He hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but it wasn't like Connie's desperate shout had gone completely unnoticed, as other cadets were giggling and exchanging questionable looks.

"No one was talking to you, Jaeger." Jean shot back, gritting his teeth while turning around to address his fellow cohort and rival.

"Guys, please!" Armin pleaded, sitting next to Eren, hoping a fight wasn't going to break out between the two. "Why can't we all just be civil with each other?"

Jean ignored his attempt at trying to ease the sudden tension. "I think I know what's got you all riled up, Jaeger. You're just mad that you're in the same boat as Connie, here."

Eren narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb, moron." Jean smirked. "We all see the way you check out Annie's ass during hand to hand combat training. Newsflash, you're not as coy as you think you are and there's no way she'd ever go for a psychotic idiot like you."

"Harsh." Connie muttered, taking a hefty swig of water from a tall mug.

"Shut up, horseface!" Eren growled, clenching his fists. "I should kick your ass for the way you look at Mikasa during class! You lay one filthy hand on her and you're dead!"

"Stop!" Armin cried desperately. "There's gotta be a way we can settle this peacefully, right?"

Before Eren and Jean could start throwing jabs at one another, Connie was quick to hatch a plan.

"Actually, there _is."_ He remarked slyly, folding his arms above his head while cradling his neck.

An awkward silence ensued, until Jean finally spoke. "Well, are you gonna tell us or what?!"

"Let's just cut to the chase." Connie began, nodding his head towards the oblivious ladies a few tables away. "I got my eye on the cutie from Dauper village, and I think it's safe to say that she's got a thing for me, too."

"Doubt it." Eren mumbled.

"Sooooo, I'm gonna man up and ask her out." Connie declared. "How'd I come up with such a fool-proof plan? I don't know, it's hard to put it into words. I guess I just got the gift."

"The gift of _what_?" Jean sneered.

"Of _seduction_." Connie replied shamelessly.

"That's a big word, Connie." Jean mocked. "Did you read that somewhere?"

"That's not the end of my plan." Connie said sternly, disregarding the unimpressed looks from his fellow trainees' faces. Except for Armin; he just looked scared. "I can't be alone in this noble crusade. We have to form a pact of sorts. I tell Sasha how I feel, then you guys have to do the same. It's simple, really."

"You want _us_ to tell _Sasha_ we have a thing for her?"

"No!" Connie sighed. "The other girls. The girls _you_ guys have a thing for."

"What?" Eren shook his head in disbelief. "Why?!"

"Look, man!" Connie was on the verge of delivering a most heartfelt and inspiring speech. "Who knows when our number will be up! We may die tomorrow, in a couple years after graduation, or well… at any moment really!"

"Much sooner if you're going to join the Scouts like Suicidal Blockhead over here." Jean murmured.

"I heard that!" Eren spat.

"The point is," Connie stammered nervously, "I have to tell Sasha how I feel about her. I can't die a peaceful death until I do." He looked over at a terrified Armin, an unfazed Jean, and a triggered Eren. "Are you with me or not?"

The tension looming over them felt uncomfortable, but deep down, they knew he was right.

Jean's eyes wandered to where the girls were sitting. Jet black tresses had him blushing in an instant. Mikasa was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. On top of that, she was smart, extremely athletic, and top of their class; all qualities that had him mysteriously drawn to her.

And the babe was half Asian, giving her an exotic look that set her apart from the other broads.

While a baffled Jean gazed over at Mikasa, admiring her beauty from the safe distance, Eren watched as Annie rose from her seat and headed back to the female barracks.

Light blonde hair, blue eyes of sheer luminescence, and luscious pink lips. She was short in stature, but her body was incredibly toned. During their sparring sessions, he hated to admit that every time she pinned him down, using her special technique, he was massively turned on. The pint size bombshell could kick his ass and not even break a sweat.

And hot damn! Her voice was the sexiest thing he'd ever heard in his entire life. She could be talking about quantum physics for all he cared; he could listen to her talk all day. (Or all night, if his dirty fantasies were to become true.)

Truthfully, she hardly ever spoke, but when she did, Eren would internally implode of orgasmic pleasure.

Connie gave Armin a questionable wink as Krista suddenly walked past them. She slowly sauntered by, while offering a cordial and most polite greeting, flashing her pearly whites in a mesmerizing fashion.

Armin felt his cheeks turn bright red. There really was no denying it. She was literally perfect. Standing at just under five feet, she was what many referred to as _fun-size_. Her golden blonde hair was always neatly styled, but Armin thought she was most beautiful when it flowed elegantly past her shoulders and grazed the small of her back.

Angelic, classy, well-spoken, generous, and benevolent. She was a genuine goddess, too good for this wicked, sinful world.

Also, she was basically his female doppelganger.

Armin found comfort in knowing that if he ever had to become a girl, he'd at least be a very cute one.

"Fine." Eren broke the silence and lowered his head, eyes filled with determination. "I'll do it!"

Jean wasn't going to let his rival one up him. He sought to grow a pair. "So am I." He exhaled, as if releasing pent up tension and accumulated stress.

Armin was being... Armin. "I'm not sure if this is a good idea." He was hesitant to take such a risk, after all, Krista was highly desirable and quite popular with the other cadets.

"Armin," Eren said encouragingly, "I believe in you. You can do this!"

"I don't know what she could possibly see in me." Armin droned on in such a pathetically depressing manner.

"You're a catch, man." Eren reassured him. "Don't underestimate yourself. You're a genius, you have great hair, and a lot of the girls here think you're cute."

Armin's spirits were lifted. "Really?" Having been partially cheered up, a glimmer of hope sparkled in deep blue orbs. "Thanks, Eren."

"Hey, Eren. No judgment if you swing that way, but I think Connie was talking about us straight boys winning the affection of our lady loves. No one said anything about hitting on our childhood friends." Jean taunted, a shit-eating grin plastered on his face.

"You son of a bitch!" Eren snarled threateningly.

Connie intervened once again before a fight could break out. "All right! So it's settled! We all agree to this!"

Eren, Jean, and Armin nodded in unison.

"Tomorrow I will man up and profess my love for Sasha!" Connie swiftly shot up from his seat, and held his right hand over his heart in salute.

Jean quickly followed suit, figuring that was his cue. "I'll tell Mikasa how I feel and win her over with my charming good looks!"

Eren held back the urge to knock his teeth out, but figured it would be worth it to see him epically fail and get rejected by Mikasa. He stood up and saluted, as part of the pact. "I'll drive them all out! Every last one!" He vowed.

"…uhhhhhhhhhhh… Eren…" Armin stuttered. "What about Annie…?"

 _Shit! Wrong vow!_ Eren thought. " _Ahem_! I mean… I'll confess my feelings to Annie. And then together, we'll wipe the titans off the face of the earth!"

"…okay then." Connie chuckled. He nudged Armin's shoulder in an effort to finalize the pact. "What about you, Armin?"

Armin suddenly became serious, rising from his seat in earnest and offering a determined salute. "Tomorrow I will inform Krista of my personal sentiments!"

"Well said, Armin." Eren smiled in approval. "Well said."

* * *

 **Connie x Sasha**

The day had arrived.

ODM training had just concluded, with several cadets crashing to the ground in exhaustion.

"GET UP, MAGGOTS!" Instructor Shadis wasn't going to let anyone get off easy. "ARE YOU HERE TO WASTE MY TIME?! YOU'RE NOT EVEN FIT FOR DECOYS IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE ODM GEAR!"

Several minutes had gone by and his voice could still be heard thundering throughout the entire camp, shattering the ear drums of any cadet within a five mile radius. Connie and his crew tried to keep a safe distance and watched as others began to frantically disperse.

Sasha was making her way back to the barracks by her lonesome; practically ripe for the taking.

"Now's your chance, Connie!" Jean said urgently. "Do it now!"

"Shouldn't you think of something to say first?" Armin tried to reason with the shaved head cutie.

Connie smirked, believing himself to be a genius. "I know _exactly_ what to say. Step aside and watch how it's done."

Connie marched onward toward Sasha and presented himself in a gentlemanly manner. "Hey, Sasha!"

"Hiya, Connie!" Sasha was caught off guard, and quickly swung her hands behind her back, hiding something precious. "How's it going?" She sounded a bit defensive.

"Sasha… what are you hiding behind your back?"

"Nothing!"

"… ... …"

"… … …"

"Sasha… there's crumbs all over your jacket…"

"Fine!" Sasha briefly looked around, scanning the area to be sure Shadis wasn't watching. She then pulled out a steamed potato she had stolen from the mess hall. Her usual _emergency_ snack. "This little guy needed to be kept in a safe place."

"Your pocket?"

"More like my stomach!"

Connie rubbed his chin, and then all at once, it hit him.

He knew how to win her over.

"You know, I was thinking you and I could… hang out sometime. Just you, me, and some good old fashioned potatoes!"

Sasha's eyes widened. Her mouth began watering, and a light trail of drool eased down from her mouth like a barbaric cavewoman. "Don't forget the meat! Steak… stew… sausage!"

"Emphasis on _sausage!"_ Jean muttered sarcastically, gathered in a small circle with Eren and Armin a few yards away from the action. He and Eren desperately held back the urge to explode in laughter.

"Let's be more mature about this, guys." Armin implored anxiously.

Meanwhile, Connie had declared a decisive victory over winning the heart of his lady love. He and Sasha were arm in arm, walking together in the direction of the mess hall, where he would see to it that the gentlelady would be treated to as much food as her heart desired. Or stomach desired.

As the couple strolled past them, Connie gave them a wink and made one last comment before disappearing. "You're next Armin!"

"Seriously?!" Eren cried out dramatically. "That was too easy for him!"

"He didn't even have to work for it!" Jean shouted in despair.

Armin was unmoved by their belligerence, rethinking the pact they had made.

It was his turn now. He needed to hold up his end of the bargain and find Krista.

* * *

 **Armin x Krista**

Jean and Eren followed Armin to a meadow near the horse stables.

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to, Armin." Eren assured him, duly noting his disturbed appearance.

"No." Armin shook his head and pressed onward. "I made a vow. It's only fair."

"If you say so." Jean scoffed.

Armin and his comrades didn't have to venture out too far, as Krista came running to _them._

She was distraught, her hair slightly messy, and her eyes were red from glistening tears.

"Guys! Help, please!" She begged, her knees wobbly and her voice shaky. In her arms was a small baby rabbit with tan fur and floppy ears. It had the fluffiest tail and a protruding belly; the gentlest of creatures. "Dundee is hurt! I think he broke his leg, or he may have twisted his little ankle!"

Armin was flabbergasted, at a total loss for words. "Uhh… I… uhhh…"

Jean and Eren stepped back, watching the entire debacle gloriously unfold before their own eyes. They were patiently waiting to see how Armin would play this out.

Being the brilliant tactician that he was, Armin was quick to come to a solution. "I'll find out what's bothering him and repair any and all injuries!" He proposed compassionately.

"Thank you, Armin!" Krista said graciously, carefully placing Dundee in his arms.

Armin knelt to the ground and laid the baby rabbit on his side. The little guy winced at the slight movement of his left leg. "It's all right. I'm a friend." Armin whispered softly. Although he couldn't quite consider himself a practitioner of medicine, his grandfather had taught him a few things about nursing small injuries.

Armin scanned the leg and came across a tiny red bump, surrounded by irritated skin.

He found the source of the affliction. A miniscule brown splinter, digging mercilessly into the skin just below the thigh. Anyone else might have overlooked it, but Armin was blessed with a sharp eye and incredible perception. He tactfully reached for the wood fragment and gently pulled it out.

"Krista, do you have any bandaging material of any kind?" Armin asked, confident in his veterinary skills.

Krista nodded and pulled out a piece of red, thin fabric. The cloth was remnant of an old tattered handkerchief. "I have this. Will it help?"

"Perfect!" Armin accepted the material and positioned it above the rabbit's leg. He tied the cloth around the area in question and topped his work off with the loveliest bow; true craftsmanship at its finest! "Ta-da!"

He placed Dundee back into Krista's arms and smiled. "He's all better now! Just a little splinter, nothing more."

The baby rabbit was back to his jolly self and cozied himself lovingly against Krista's chest.

"Armin!" She cooed, eyes filling up with tears of joy. "You saved his life!"

"Well…" Armin began. "I don't think his injury was life-threatening but…"

"You're amazing, Armin!" Krista enthused. "You're a hero!"

Armin blushed, struggling to let out more than just a nervous chuckle. "Thanks…"

"Come on, man!" Jean muttered under his breath. "Don't screw this up!"

Armin wasn't able to hear Jean's attempted motivation from the distance, but he somehow mustered the courage to speak up.

"Krista…"

"Yes, Armin?"

"Would you like to… Do you wanna… errr…"

Krista eyed him curiously. "What's on your mind?" Her voice was sweet, almost melodic.

Music to Armin's ears.

"Wouldyouliketojoinmeforanafternoonstroll?" Armin spewed out quickly, wanting to get it over with. "It's just… so nice out. And maybe we could frolic with the other rabbits out in the meadows!

Krista nodded enthusiastically. "I'd love to!"

Armin almost couldn't believe what was happening, and before long, Krista was reaching for his hand, the other still cradling Dundee.

Eren and Jean were clapping their hands and hollering like idiots.

"Way to go, Armin!" Eren cheered, as the two lovebirds disappeared into fields of lush green grass and flowers in full bloom.

"I'm just going to pretend like he won't have to fight off both Reiner and Ymir later." Jean sighed. "I don't want to spoil this moment."

"Too late." Eren scoffed.

"They should fuse together or something. They look so much alike; they could become _one_."

"What the hell."

"By the way, you're next Jaeger." Jean grinned.

"No way!" Eren countered. "You're next in line!"

Seeing that they were at an impasse, Jean exhaled sharply and extended his arm. "I'll rock, paper, scissors ya for it."

Eren reluctantly agreed, rolling his eyes. "Fine."

The two counted down and went for it.

Eren's hands formed a flat line; paper.

Jean formed an awkward, sideways V with his forefinger and middle finger; scissors.

"Damn." Was all Eren could say in response to such a devastating loss.

He was next.

* * *

 **Eren x Annie**

Connie had returned from his shenanigans with Sasha; just in time to watch Eren hold up his end of their little ordeal.

"Where's Armin?" Connie asked, pulling up a seat next to Jean along an old wooden fence.

"Prancing around in the meadows with Krista and a bunch of bunnies." Jean answered nonchalantly.

"So it worked out? Sweet!"

"Shut up, Connie!" Jean spat. "I wanna see Eren get his ass kicked!"

"Oh, boy! He's really going for it! Look at that swagger!"

Not too far off in the distance, Eren was marching towards an unsuspecting Annie, a pep in each step.

Never one to engage in pointless small talk, he advanced onward aggressively and didn't look back. Suddenly, his voice could be heard booming with a drastic sense of purpose and determination.

"Annie, will you go out with me?!" He decided taking a more head on approach would be best. His eyes were closed, as if half-expecting the worst case scenario.

Annie lowered her head and narrowed her eyes. She took her time responding and sighed in disdain. "Clearly not the romantic type, are we?" She turned her back towards him and began walking away, but not before adding one last note. "You really gotta learn how to talk to girls."

Eren wasn't going to give up that easily. Not without a fight. A literal one.

"Annie, you and me. _Right now_."

Annie wasn't the only one who was surprised. Jean and Connie's jaws hit the floor.

"What a dumbass!" Jean giggled.

"Not a good idea, Eren." Connie stammered, facepalming himself.

Annie faced Eren once more. Maybe she just heard him wrong. "You really want to do this here?"

They were standing just outside the hand to hand combat training pen. Hardly anyone else was around as dusk was setting in. Here and now was as good a time as ever for an impatient cadet by the name of Eren Jaeger.

"Yes." Eren nodded, trying to keep a level head. "If I'm able to pin you down for five seconds, you have to go out with me. At least one date."

"A date to where?" Annie scoffed. "The mess hall? Your basement in Shiganshina?"

"The details aren't important right now!" Eren shot back. "Are you in or out?"

Annie finally relented. "Fine." She then looked him directly in the eye. "But if I win…"

"Oh, shit!" Jean whispered.

"This is getting intense!" Connie remarked incredulously.

They piped down in order to hear Annie finish her terms.

"…You have to be my training partner for the next month."

Eren contemplated the offer. He expected her to suggest something awful like "punch Mikasa," but regardless of the outcome of this brawl, it was a win-win! Having her as a training partner was the next best thing.

"All right! You're on!" Eren bowed in accordance and readied himself for their battle. "Don't expect me to go easy on you this time."

Annie assumed the proper fighting stance and waited for him to make the first move.

Jean and Connie were dying of anticipation, their hearts almost leaping out of their chests.

"This could get ugly." Connie frowned.

"Yeah, for Eren." Jean hooted.

Eren finished stretching, and took a moment to gather his thoughts.

He was ready.

Without warning, he bolted forward towards Annie, aiming to grab her by the torso. She evaded his pathetic attempt and executed a flawless sweep kick underneath him, sending him crashing to the ground. In mere seconds, she was on top of him, locking him into a humiliating position of defeat; a position he was familiar with every time he was paired up with her.

She had completely wasted him. Again.

"I counted five seconds." Jean marveled. "That's gotta be a new record for sure."

"Now you're just being cruel." Connie scowled.

In another setting, Eren was still lying on the ground, out of breath and out of luck.

He looked up at the sky, his view consisting mostly of thin, airy clouds, colors changing from orange to pink before welcoming the night.

In an unexpected turn of events, Annie stood up and looked down at him, obstructing his view.

She extended her hand towards him, offering to help him up.

He hesitated for a moment, before finally accepting her peace offering.

"You win again, Annie." Eren conceded, a hint of disappointment etched on his face.

Annie blushed, pink hues fading from her cheeks. "If you want, I can teach you my technique sometime."

Eren gulped, but was hopeful. "I'd like that, Annie." When he looked down, he noticed Annie hadn't let go of his hand. "Uhmm… Annie... your hand… my hand…"

"I'm well aware of that." Annie stated casually. Soon, she was leading him towards a heavily wooded forest, a place beyond the pines that offered privacy among massive bushes and foliage, and cozy shelter beneath tall sturdy trees.

"Umm… Where are you taking me?" Eren inquired sheepishly.

"Somewhere we can be alone." Annie replied, still on the move with the adorable brunet in tow.

"So we can practice your technique?" Eren wasn't good at picking up signals.

"We can do that some other time." Annie remarked blankly. "There's… _other things_ I want to get to first."

As the two disappeared into the forest, commonly referred to as the "Makeout Forest" among other cadets, Jean and Connie sat in silence and disbelief.

"That was something else." Connie looked over at Jean and smirked. "So…"

"So what?!" Jean wanted to run away and hide under a rock, knowing his turn was next.

"We made a pact, Jean!" Connie growled. "It's binding! You can't back out of this!"

"SHIT!" Jean fell to his knees and wallowed away in self-pity.

It was his turn now.

* * *

 **Jean x Mikasa**

Jean's audience consisted solely of an encouraging, but slightly amused, Connie Springer; hiding behind a few stacked barrels and peering above just enough to maintain a decent amount of coverage and stealth.

Jean had his sights set on his target. An Asian babe with beautiful black hair, clad in a white blouse and red scarf.

Before he could say hello and try to flirt with the lovely dame, Mikasa began interrogating him incessantly.

"Jean! Have you seen Eren?! I can't find him anywhere! Is he with Armin? Where could he have run off to?"

"Woah woah woah!" Jean wheezed, waving his hands in an effort to calm her down. He didn't have the heart to tell her that Eren was probably getting it on with Annie in Makeout Forest, so he did his best to distract her. "Calm down, Mikasa. I'm sure Eren is fine. He's probably out with the guys, trying to get a hang of his ODM gear. He's weird like that."

His consolation seemed to be working, as her face was no longer flushed and she had ceased pacing back and forth in random circles. "You think so?" She asked.

"Yes." Jean forced out, wanting to get down to business. "Mikasa… look at me."

Mikasa looked up and felt a calming sense of relief. It felt… nice and warm.

"It'll all be okay." Jean whispered. " _I'm_ here."

Mikasa was about to say something when she found herself locked into a tender embrace, his arms wrapped around her waist.

"I'll always be here. Whenever you need me, day, night, it doesn't matter." Jean said soothingly, running his hands through her hair. "Anything for you, Mikasa."

Silence loomed over them.

He didn't necessarily expect her to reciprocate his feelings, but he was utterly shocked that she returned the cuddly, smushy feelings by lightly brushing her lips against his cheek, planting a sweet, butterfly kiss mere centimeters away from his mouth.

So close, yet so far.

"Thank you, Jean. But I have to be sure." With that, she hurried off and continued her search for Eren.

Jean stood wearily, still reeling from the kiss.

Connie approached him from behind and patted him on the shoulder.

"I'm proud of you, Jean." He said good-naturedly. He was impressed with how well Jean was handling the circumstances. Very mature and respectable, indeed. The qualities of a true leader. But since he wasn't Marco, he chose not to waste his time telling Jean that.

Jean sighed. "It's not easy with Eren in the way, but I'm a patient man, Connie." He looked up, as if deep in thought. "For now, all I can do is show her that I'm willing to fight for her; prove to her that I'm her knight in shining armor."

Connie allowed him to contemplate life for a moment and took a few steps back. Before long, he was heading toward the barracks, feeling exhausted from all the shenanigans and deeds the day had challenged him with.

Sasha was eating out of the palm of his hands now. Literally and figuratively.

Armin and Krista were slowly falling for each other.

Eren and Annie were… doing god knows what. (Playing nice for once at least.)

Jean and Mikasa were just friends… for now.

Who knows what the future held for them?

In less than a couple years, they would each be faced with a most dreadful decision.

The Garrison, the MPs, or the Scout Regiment.

Aside from that, living in this Titan infested world meant death was lurking in every corner, watching, stalking them from all blind spots.

But they were all alive and well in the here and now.

Time was a precious commodity, and there was no way of knowing how much was left for them.

Anything can happen at any moment.

And in this moment, this exact moment, fleeting as it may be…

Connie was _content_.

And that was all that mattered.


End file.
